Pictured is Tim Croy doing the final inspection of a SAWS ramp installed for free in Mentone.

By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

MENTONE – In the heart of Kosciusko County, the little town of Mentone is famous for a quirky landmark: a giant cement egg that proudly declares the “Egg Basket of the Midwest.”

But if you ask the people who call this place home, they’ll tell you the town’s true treasure isn’t made of cement; he’s a man in a hoodie who can’t seem to stop moving when he sees something that needs to be done. Tim Croy, the second announced Everyday Hero from The Everyday Hero Recognition Program, is a man of quiet action and humble words. When told of the honor, his response was pure, unassuming Croy: “This is quite the honor! Do you realize that it’s just little me in little Mentone?”

The Everyday Hero program by the Live Well Kosciusko Community Well Being group celebrates ordinary people making an extraordinary impact in our community. It seeks to honor those who, like Tim, embody empathy, resilience, and a profound sense of civic responsibility. In Tim Croy, we find a hero whose contributions are as deeply rooted as the farm fields surrounding Mentone.

The Unofficial “Mayor” And The 13 Lawns

To his neighbors, Tim is often called the “Mayor of Mentone,” a title earned not by election, but by relentless service. While working his own full-time job, he also averages an astonishing 16 town meetings a month. But his heroism shines brightest in the simple, personal acts that define community.

Every week, without fanfare or payment, Tim Croy mows around 13 yards. These aren’t just any lawns; they belong mostly to older, widowed ladies who can no longer manage the task themselves. “Sometimes they make me cookies,” he says with a smile. He refuses their money, pretending not to see it when they wave it at him, finding his reward in a town that looks cared for and neighbors who feel supported.

A Legacy Of Service, Planted In A Potato Patch

Croy on a roof for Mission 2 Mentone.

Where does such a deep-seated drive to serve come from? Tim credits his parents. He grew up in a farmhouse near Stonehenge in Warsaw, where a sandy, unproductive patch of their garden sparked an idea in his father’s mind. “We would grow potatoes in that part and ship them to an Indian reservation near Brainard, South Dakota, every year,” Tim recalls.

With the help of the Warsaw Presbyterian youth group, the family would dig up all the potatoes and fill a semi-truck. From his earliest days, he learned that no act of generosity is too small, and that a community can come together to fill a truck, or a heart, with goodness.

That lesson fuels his work with Mission 2 Mentone (M2M), a partnership with the Baptist Church of Mentone and Harrison Center Church. M2M provides new roofs for those who can’t afford them, using volunteer labor and donated materials. He also helps with SAWS, Servants at Work, which builds free ramps for those who need assistance. Croy gives credit to Builders Mart, which has been instrumental in providing materials at cost, and to local businesses like The Bulldog and Egg Town Coffee shop which donate lunches and coffee for the volunteer crews.

But for Tim, it’s never about the structures; it’s about the people inside them. He recalls a poignant moment just before Christmas: “I saw a little grandson in one of the places and asked him what he wanted for Christmas. The little boy replied, ‘I just want the water buckets out of my room.’ That broke me!” It’s these stark realities that fuel his resolve, turning empathy into action, one shingle at a time.

The Operator Of Good

Tim’s official roles are a testament to his enduring commitment: 22 years on the town council (the longest in Mentone’s history), 25 years as president of the Bell Museum, a volunteer fireman, a licensed first responder for decades, and his “newest” 12-year role as vice president of the Mentone Chamber of Commerce.

I asked him, “So, how does one man do it all?”

“Well, you have to prioritize,” he explains. His list is simple and telling: “Number One – God. Number Two – Spouse. Number Three – Kids. And Number Four – Community.” He and his wife, Jacqueline, share a bustling family of seven children, 28 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren, and their beloved granddaughter, Shalynn, currently lives with them. He rarely takes a vacation because, as he puts it, “Everyone is counting on me.” He laughs.

“I’m kind of like the old-time phone operator. Everyone calls me for schools, events, churches, farmer’s market, properties, food trucks, you name it.” He’s the central switchboard for community need, always connecting, always facilitating, always doing.

The Ripple Effect

For all that he has done, Tim Croy’s biggest wish is not for recognition, but for replication. “My biggest goal is to get someone to say, ‘I want to get involved and make a difference too,’” he says. He points with admiration to a lady who simply walks around with a trash grabber, cleaning up litter. He contemplates aloud while watering the plants downtown: “Maybe someone else will see me and start helping too. Right?”

Tim also sees the need for new, younger leaders to step up. “We need more young people to step up with leadership,” he urges. “We’re all getting older, and we feel it every morning.” Tim Croy is the living, breathing heart of Mentone. He is proof that a hero isn’t defined by a cape or a title, but by the willingness to see a need, a leaky roof, an overgrown lawn, a bucket in a child’s room, and to move. He is the embodiment of the belief that we are all connected and that our greatest calling is to look out for one another. In the shadow of the giant egg, Tim Croy’s legacy is one of profound, simple humanity, inspiring us all to pick up the phone, grab a rake, or simply lend a hand.

Tim Croy is one hero, but there are many other Everyday Heroes in our community. If you’d like to nominate another Everyday Hero, you can find the live form here.

Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Diners and Dives or Banter? Send Shari Benyousky of SB Communications LLC an email at [email protected].